Trump rule chills Energy Dept. nuclear whistleblowers
Source: Washington Post
Like a stinging winter wind, Trump administration action gives a chill to Energy Department whistleblowers.
The department has temporarily halted an Obama administration regulation permitting civil penalties against federal nuclear contractors that retaliate against whistleblowers who report waste, fraud and dangerous conditions.
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“There is already a chilled atmosphere for DOE whistleblowers, and the rule that has now been stayed was meant to help address that problem,” said Lydia Dennett, an investigator with the Project on Government Oversight. “Halting the regulation from going forward does nothing to help the department and certainly will not encourage whistleblowers to come forward with legitimate safety concerns.”
Added Louis Clark, executive director and chief executive of the whistleblower advocacy Government Accountability Project: “We have had to engage in pitched litigation against contractors who routinely fire any whistleblower who dares to expose contract fraud, extraordinary public health and safety dangers, and massive contamination of the environment and the workforce — 80 percent of the DOE’s entire budget goes to these contractors.”
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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/news/powerpost/wp/2017/02/09/trump-rules-suspend-penalties-for-retaliation-against-energy-whistleblowers/?outputType=accessibility&nid=menu_nav_accessibilityforscreenreader
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